Across baseball, there has been a gradual -- but unmistakable -- shift of power from the dugout to the front office. More than ever, as analytics gain more prevalence, executives have input into lineup composition, in-game strategy and identifying favorable matchups. In some extreme cases, this shift has resulted in some managers being reduced to little more than figureheads.

But at Fenway Park Friday, quite unexpectedly, Dave Dombrowski stood that dynamic on its head.